Ramp closures begin mid-July on Gardiner, awaiting $12.6M in repairs

Work begins soon on repairs to the expressway that will require closing Bay and Jarvis ramps for six weeks.

The Gardiner Expressway is expected to get more than $12 million in refurbishing over the next few years.

By:Paul MoloneyUrban Affairs Reporter, Published on Tue Jun 26 2012

Traffic chaos looms this summer as the city begins a multi-year effort to rehabilitate the Gardiner expressway.

Expressway users will see lane and ramp closures to accommodate $12.6 million of repairs to the elevated roadway between York and Jarvis Sts.

For about six weeks from mid-July to the end of August, the Bay St. on-ramp to the Gardiner eastbound and the Jarvis off-ramp from the Gardiner eastbound will be closed.

The repairs will also require single- and multiple-lane closures on westbound Lake Shore Blvd., as well as associated lane restrictions on Bay and Yonge Sts.

The city emphasizes that lanes will be closed at times other than rush hour, and access to buildings, parking lots and driveways will be maintained at all times.

This summer’s repair work marks the start of a major push to fix the Gardiner by spending $15 million for repairs each year for up to 10 years.

“This is part of our rehabilitation program,” said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, chair of council’s public works and infrastructure committee.

“The fact it’s an elevated freeway adds to the complication and the amount of work, but the work has to be done,” he said, referring to the recent spate of concrete chunks that have fallen off the 50-year-old expressway.

“We know what happens when you don’t do regular maintenance, especially to elevated structures like bridges and roads.”

Downtown residents are warned there will be noise from jack hammers, air compressors, concrete trucks and pumps. Sidewalks may be closed due to work overhead, but alternate pedestrian routes will be provided.

Some work will be done in the daytime, but most of the repairs will be carried out in the evening and overnight.

“We’re trying to minimize the impact to motorists,” Minnan-Wong said.

The $12.6 million contract involves repair and/or replacement of the precast concrete box girders, repairs to concrete columns and replacement of drainage systems.

There will also be six message signs added between Parliament St. and Strachan Ave. to alert motorists to traffic conditions.

On Monday, a small piece of concrete fell off the Gardiner onto a motorist’s car, with little damage. It was the fourth chunk to fall since early May.

Minnan-Wong said he’s been assured that crews have now removed all loose concrete from the underside of the structure.

“I’ve talked to (the) deputy city manager and the Gardiner Expressway has been looked at from stem to stern,” he said. “We’ve looked at places that need to be fixed and places that need to be chipped and spots that need to be repaired … we expect all of the repairs to be completed by the end of this month — by the weekend.”

With files from Robyn Doolittle

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